Phantom Limb
by elliehigginbottom
Summary: Phantom Limb: The perception of sensations, including pain, in a limb that is not there. People with this condition experience feelings, as if it were still attached to their body. Feelings and exchanges between Harry and Ginny during Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, that we feel, but are not there.
1. Slug Club Inquiries

**Author's note: **This should have been chapter one. It takes place in January, right after they get back from Christmas Holiday. Harry is trying to get the memory from Slughorn, who has been dodging him. He goes to find Hermione AND GINNY to ask if they have heard about any upcoming Slug Club meetings. I think Harry would take the opportunity to spend a bit more time with Ginny.

...

"Hey Gin!" Harry called down the long corridor, finding the exact person he'd been looking for. Ginny Weasley was chatting with a few girls between classes. She turned to the sound of his voice, and gave him an inquisitive smile. Waving off from her friends, who had begun giggling, Ginny made her way over to him. It was hard for Harry to not enjoy that Ginny seemed fine leaving the giggling girls behind for him. Ginny seemed to notice Harry's attention on the girls left behind, and when she approached him she gave a quick, "Don't pay any attention. They are a bunch of silly girls."

"Sure," Harry agreed uneasily. He never understood why girls had to travel in those ridiculous packs. "What's going on Harry?" Ginny asked him, a pretty pink smile on her lips.

Which Harry was currently staring at...

"Yes," Harry pulled his gaze and mind back to their present conversation. "I was just, ah curious if you've gotten a Slug Club invite or anything recently?" He finished, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, no I haven't," Ginny explained with a shake of her head, that caused the current curls in her red hair to bounce. "Okay," and Harry couldn't keep the disappointment from his voice. Ginny gave him a curious look, "Don't tell me you are suddenly wanting to go. I'm counting on you to schedule practices so we can get out of them."

Harry smiled, glad that Ginny appreciated his extra practices, but he really needed to get that memory. "It's uh..." Harry fumbled, trying to think of a believable excuse to give to Ginny.

But Ginny just gave him an exasperated look, and held up a hand to stop his obvious attempt to lie to her, "Harry, just call it a personal matter. I think I've known you long enough that I can understand that."

Harry let out a long sigh, "Yeah, it's one of those. Sorry Gin," He apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. Harry felt foolish for not trusting Ginny to understand. She'd been at the Ministry with them.

"It's fine-" Ginny began to say, but was interrupted when a group of Slytherin boys walked by. Led by Blaise Zabini, who walked much closer to Ginny when the passed than necessary.

"You're looking particularly lovely today blood traitor," Blaise told Ginny, with a look in his eyes, that made the beast in Harry's chest fire. What the hell was going on?

The look of disgust on Ginny's face matched the tone in her voice when she yelled, "Shove off Blaise! And keep your slimey hands off of me." Harry's wand arm was twitching to act.

"Feisty. I like that." Blaise told her causing his gang of Slytherin boys to cackle, but all the while Blaise had been looking directly at Harry. Harry was surely seeing red. He might actually breathe fire.

Ginny, obviously tired of this, took a step away from from the tall dark skinned boy. Blaise noticed this and started to close the distance. Harry was in motion before he realized it, quickly putting himself between Ginny and Blaise. "Back off Blaise," Harry warned his wand in hand, standing eye to eye with the Slytherin. And Harry thought Draco was the worst of them.

Blaise halted, looking down at Harry's wand. A crowd was starting to gather around the 6th year boys. Blaise had never really been one for trouble. His breeding and high society upbringing giving him a cool indifference to the petty goings on at Hogwarts. Harassing Ginny seemed like a tactful move some how. Although Harry couldn't help but remember Pansy Parkinson accusing Blaise of finding Ginny attractive, which he then admitted.

Blaise laughed, cool and derisive, "Always the hero, Potter?" he asked, an amused look on his face. "See you around Ginny." Blaise added looking over Harry's shoulder to the girl behind him, his words dripped with intention. Harry thought it would be a cold day in hell when that happened.

Harry felt himself start, his wand forgotten, the idea of using his fists much more appealing. But the group of Slytherin boys had already retreated down the corridor, and the disappointed crowd had dispersed. Harry took a moment to collect himself. After a few steadying breaths he turned back to Ginny. "So, how long has that been happening," Harry asked the her tensely.

Ginny gave him a tired look, shaking her head, "About a week, I guess. He only does it if I'm around Ron or Dean. Now you too," she finished, giving Harry a nonchalant shrug.

"I don't like it," Harry replied sharply, eyeing the tall Blaise and his friends as they continued down the corridor. So Ron knew about this? Why hadn't Ron told him?

"Yeah, I'm not too fond myself," Ginny agreed, glancing over her shoulder in the same direction Harry's eyes were trained. With a sigh, she brought her attention back to Harry. "Just forget about them. I think they're just trying to throw us off before the next quidditch match. But why he's doing that in front of you, doesn't really make sense." she added dismissively.

"You didn't think that would bother me?" Harry asked her, almost offended.

His tone caused Ginny to whip her eyes back to his. Her eyebrows were raised, and look that was difficult for Harry to read played at her lips. "Of course it would. I'm sorry," she told him soothingly. Ginny breathed out a long exhale and added, "Well, I better get to class."

"Charms?" Harry asked realizing what Ginny had just before him. The Charm's classroom was located back down the corridor, past where Blaise and the group of Slytherins stood leering at 1st years as they passed. Ginny gave him a sidelong look, as she hitched her satchel higher on her shoulders, before staring irritably down the hall. "That's right."

"Where's Dean?" Harry asked, curious as to why her boyfriend was leaving her to fend for herself. The protective beast in Harry's chest roared.

Ginny rolled her eyes, and her jaw seem to set tighter when she replied, "Who knows?" Harry shouldn't have felt pleased about her terse remark at the mention of her boyfriend.

With a long exhale of his own, Harry told her, "Come on. I've got a free hour. I'll walk you to class."

Ginny sighed, "You don't have to do that. Blaise won't actually do anything. I'm a filthy blood traitor. And worse, I'm friends with Harry Potter," Ginny teased, and Harry had the sense that she was trying to distract the both of them.

"It's my job to protect my team," He replied with a smile.

"Whatever you say, Captain," she laughed out with a salute, as they took off down the hall together. Harry was happy to see Ginny smile at his words, but the likelihood that she was right in Blaise's intentions, didn't stop him from putting himself in between the group of Slytherins and Ginny as they passed in the corridor.

"It's the oddest thing," Ginny broke through the silence, as the lewd voices of the Slytherins died away behind them. Harry perked to her words. "For four years no one knows I exist at this school, and then this year I can't walk to class without some bloke bothering me," she finished, exasperated but laughing.

"That's not true," Harry countered, feeling a bit hot under the collar about the "other blokes" Ginny mentioned. Harry saw Ginny shoot him a doubtful look. "I knew you existed!" He defended.

To this Ginny did laugh, "No you didn't!" Harry opened his mouth to defend himself, although he couldn't quite find the words. "I was only Ron's little sister to you." She told with a defiant look. "But that's alright. It's probably for the best anyhow. I was completely mad for you," She admitted grinning, a rather attractive blush appearing on her cheeks. Harry felt his pulse pick up, and he mentally kicked himself for not taking more time to get to know Ginny.

"I remember," Harry agreed quickly.

"Although you really can't judge me too harshly, I was only eleven," Ginny defended with a laugh. "I barely knew you, anyway…" Ginny trailed off for a moment, and Harry glanced over at her, and wondered if she still felt like they didn't know each other well.

Harry certainly felt like he knew a lot about Ginny. How she liked her eggs. That she could outwit Fred and George any day. She could out fly Ron. She did not like being treated like a child. She had impeccable grades. Harry had actually gleaned this from the big hugs Ginny received from Mrs. Weasley every time grades came in the summer. She chewed on her quills when she was revising. She hummed in the shower…Harry was sure Ron didn't know he was aware of that. Harry knew that she had one particularly dark freckle that sat at the juncture of her shoulder and neck.

Ginny's seemed to come back from wherever her mind had taken her. With a smile and wink, she added, "But now that we've gotten to know each other, we're pretty good mates. I think."

"Yeah," Harry agreed soberly. He didn't much care for the turn of their conversation. "Just took us a few extra years," the redhead added with a shrug. Her pleasant mood returned. Harry nodded in agreement, not feeling the carefree indifference that Ginny was sporting. "And to think, I could have gotten over my childhood crush if I would have just _gotten to know you_." Ginny teased, nudging Harry playfully.

Harry felt his face crack a smile. "_Ha. Ha. Gin_," He teased back, giving her a playful shove back. They both laughed at their complicated, yet simple history.

"You know, you're the only person who calls me Gin," Ginny told him, tossing her long red hair over her shoulder.

"Oh," Harry stammered. Ginny didn't sound displeased, but the look she was giving him made him uneasy. "I just kind of picked it up this summer. Would you like me to stop?" Harry explained, suddenly feeling like he was doing a terrible job at 'acting natural.'

"No, it's fine. I always know its you," she explained, as she shifted her books in her arms. They came to stop as the stairs started shifting. Harry suddenly felt rather awkward.

"So are you ready for your O.W.L.s?" He asked, grasping for some sort of neutral ground to tread on.

Ginny laughed, "It's January, Harry. Did Hermione put you up to asking me?" "No. Not yet at least," Harry chuckled back. He remembered last year, when Hermione had made them all schedules to best use their time in preparing for the important exams at the end of 5th year.

"Well, I have not. I want to do well, but I'm not sure what I want to do yet. You'll be going for an Auror, right?" Ginny asked, and Harry didn't remember ever telling her this.

"Yeah," He affirmed. "I just can't see myself doing anything else." The stairs swung back to them, and they started to descend.

"Yeah, I can't really see you doing anything else either. I know these exams kind of set us up for the rest of our lives, but I can't seem to care," Ginny explained as they turned they reached the second floor. "Maybe I'm more like Fred and George than I realize, but do you know what I think every time someone asks me what I see myself doing in the future?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders, following her towards the East Wing.

"The only thing I am certain I'm going to do tomorrow is get my broom and fly," Ginny explained staring off ahead of them. Harry could feel the attraction he felt for Ginny Weasley increase at her words.

Harry felt his mouth draw into a smile at the corners. "I like that plan." Ginny gave out a most attractive giggle through her closed lips, and looked up at Harry. Harry felt that were a few words at the tip of his tongue dying to come out. But as he smiled down at those light brown eyes, he seemed to have forgotten...most everything.

As they rounded the last corner to the Charms classroom, Ginny gaze moved down the corridor, and her face fell. "Oh great," she muttered under her breath, and purposefully slowed her pace.

Harry eyes shot up the corridor to see Dean Thomas leaning against the wall next to the door of the classroom with a sheepish look on his face. Harry suddenly felt like he was caught doing something he oughtn't. But the memory of the predatory look on Blaise Zabini's face, quickly replaced Harry's feeling of guilt, to frustration. Harry watched as Dean shot an apologetic look down the hall at Ginny, who had come to a halt at the end of the corridor.

"I can walk you all the way to your seat if you need me to," Harry offered, looking down at Ginny who was looking back at Dean with a rather tense expression on her face.

Ginny's eyes closed and she gave a rather tired shake of her head, "No, that would probably make everything worse." Harry nodded, and took a step back from her.

"What's going on between you two? What did he do?" Harry couldn't stop himself from asking, and even he noticed the bite on his last words.

Ginny pulled her brown eyes open and looked up at Harry. Her expression carried a tired smile, "Oh, just a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. Better just get this over with," she muttered, as she hitched up her satchel again. Taking off down the hall alone. After a few steps she turned back round to face Harry. "Did you know all boys are complete arses?" She asked him as she backed her way down the hall.

Harry stood there watching her retreat. "Yeah, Gin. I think we all are at some point or another," Harry agreed with a shake of his head. Ginny gave him a friendly shrug, and mouthed a "thank you," to him before she turned round. Dean was already moving towards her. The tall dark skinned boy's gaze flicking back and forth between Ginny and Harry curiously. Harry took this as his cue to leave.

**...**

**Discussion:** So the Blaise harassment was an idea I kind of expected JK to use. Especially after what Harry overheard in the train car on their trip to Hogwarts. My idea is that it did not involve Draco at all. He was far too distracted with Voldemort's wishes. It was the Slytherin Quidditch captain who put Blaise up to it. (He'd be getting in the head of over half the team: Ginny, Ron, Dean and Harry). After a while Blaise would get bored and stop. I just wanted to see Harry and Ginny actually have an honest to goodness conversation! We see some more Dean/Ginny turmoil. And Ginny and Harry can put the awkward adolescent crush behind them. I wanted to show that Ginny is so over it, and confident in the woman she's become that she can talk and joke about her crush without worry or self consciousness.

Do tell me what you thought.


	2. An Intimate Moment

**Author's** **Note: **So after writing a few Harry/Ginny fics, I decided that I needed a refresher on the two. I reread Order of the Phoenix to study how they became "normal" around each other, and now then Half Blood Prince to remind myself how Harry fell for Ginny. I think we can all agree that their relationship was thin, but that does leave room for interpretation.

While rereading I was looking for gaps where scenes could be added, and yet still keep with Harry's thought process throughout the literature. I've got three in my head. Here's the first.

I'm starting with a long clip from HBP in order to give some context.

...

Harry and Hermione had just returned to the Common Room after spending Ron's Birthday in the hospital wing after he was poisoned with Professor Slughorn's mead. The Weasley family had come to check on Ron and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley shared their gratitude, because Harry had now saved Ron, Arthur and Ginny. Harry and Hermione left them all to be together, and ran into Hagrid on their way back to the Common room, who let it slip that he had overheard Snape and Dumbledore arguing. Hermione has gone off to bed, leaving Harry alone in the Common Room.

_So Dumbledore had argued with Snape. In spite of all he had told Harry, in spite of his insistence that he trusted Snape completely, he had lost his temper with him. . . . He did not think that Snape had tried hard enough to investigate the Slytherins ... or, perhaps, to investigate a single Slytherin: Malfoy?_

_Was it because Dumbledore did not want Harry to do anything foolish, to take matters into his own hands, that he had pretended there was nothing in Harry's suspicions? That seemed likely. It , might even be that Dumbledore did not want anything to distract Harry from their lessons, or from procuring that memory from Slughorn. Perhaps Dumbledore did not think it right to confide suspicions about his staff to sixteen-year-olds. ..._

_"There you are, Potter!"_

_Harry jumped to his feet in shock, his wand at the ready. He had been quite convinced that the common room was empty; he had not been at all prepared for a hulking figure to rise suddenly out of a distant chair. A closer look showed him that it was Cormac McLaggen._

_"I've been waiting for you to come back," said McLaggen, disregarding Harry's drawn wand. "Must've fallen asleep. Look, I saw them taking Weasley up to the hospital wing earlier. Didn't look like he'll be fit for next week's match."_

_It took Harry a few moments to realize what McLaggen was talking about._

_"Oh . . . right. . . Quidditch," he said, putting his wand back into the belt of his jeans and running a hand wearily through his hair. "Yeah ... he might not make it."_

_"Well, then, I'll be playing Keeper, won't I?" said McLaggen._

_"Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah, I suppose so. ..."_

_He could not think of an argument against it; after all, McLaggen had certainly performed second-best in the trials._

_"Excellent," said McLaggen in a satisfied voice. "So when's practice?"_

_"What? Oh . . . there's one tomorrow evening."_

_"Good. Listen, Potter, we should have a talk beforehand. I've got some ideas on strategy you might find useful."_

_"Right," said Harry unenthusiastically. "Well, I'll hear them tomorrow, then. I'm pretty tired now ... see you . . ."_

_JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Chapter 19_

Once Harry had convinced Cormac that they would not be discussing quidditch strategies, Cormac shrugged off and went to bed. Leaving Harry alone once more in front of the dying fire of the Gryffindor Common Room. After the strange events of what was supposed to be a lazy Saturday, his pensive mood returned to him.

Harry sat, hunched forward on the overstuffed couch, watching the flames flicker and embers glow. Thoughts of Snape and Dumbledore's conversation were running furiously through his mind. Harry was sure if he just kept at it, kept thinking of why Snape would be refusing to do as Dumbledore asked, then the answer would come to him.

Harry was not sure how long he had been sitting here before he was startled out of his reverie to the sound of the portrait hole swinging open. Reflexively Harry pushed himself up to sit straight, when a very distracted Ginny Weasley came wandering into the dim room. Harry felt his pulse quicken, as the beast in his chest perked in interest.

"Ginny," Harry greeted quietly, standing from the couch. Ginny who seemed not to notice Harry's presence, gasped in surprise as she turned to look at him. When their eyes met Harry couldn't help but notice hint of sadness behind her brown eyes. Panic started to set in. "Ron's doing okay?" He asked hurriedly, moving towards her. A sinking feeling seized Harry's chest.

"Yes," Ginny answered quickly, and Harry felt the hold around his chest loosen. "Yes, I'm sorry. He's doing just the same," Ginny explained, shaking her head, as if she were trying to shake off her mood.

Harry stood there feeling slightly awkward as Ginny seemed to lose herself in thought again. She stared off over his shoulder, her features beautiful but tense. It was one of those very early hours of the morning, those hours that still felt like night. "He's going to be alright, Gin." The words of comfort flowing out of his mouth, as he jammed his hands deep into his trouser pockets.

This seemed to bring her back to the Common Room, and her brown eyes fixed on Harry's. A look on her face Harry couldn't quite decipher. Then she was in his arms. Ginny's arms fixed tightly around his waist, and her head pressed firmly against his chest. For a moment Harry was frozen. Not that he hadn't dreamed of this very occurrence. Fantasized of Ginny Weasley throwing herself into his arms, but in his fantasies her brother had not just almost been killed.

She's upset. She's afraid and upset for Ron. She needs a friend. Harry reasoned with himself, as his hands left the safety of his pockets to return the embrace. She's dating Dean. Be her friend! He warned himself, as the beast in his chest roared with delight. Harry was finding it difficult to not notice how well she fit against his chest; the perfect height to tuck under his chin, as he inhaled her flowery scent. "He'll be fine." He added, guilt settling in his stomach that he hadn't really thought of Ron during this exchange.

"I know he will," Ginny admitted after a moment. She pushed herself back, but to Harry's jubilation, not out of his arms.

"Thanks to you," she added, shaking her incredulously.

"Like I said before, I was just lucky," Harry told her, uncomfortable being a hero.

Ginny shook her head stubbornly, "Mum and Dad were right. We all owe you a huge debt. Saving Ron and Dad...saving me." Harry felt his hands grip her a bit tighter at this. All thoughts of Ron, Dean, even Malfoy's secrets far from his mind at the moment. Completely consumed in the girl in his arms. "Merlin, it seems like a lifetime ago. We were so young. Harry you were just a boy," Ginny told him fiercely, and Harry was surprisingly relieved to not see the familiar wonder that she used to look on him with, but rather deep pity.

Shared understanding, of the feeling of having something precious stolen from each of them that night four years ago. "You're just a boy," Ginny whispered out sadly, bringing a hand a up to brush Harry's cheek.

Harry swallowed thickly, and couldn't stop himself from leaning closer. "I'm not a boy anymore," He answered, his voice low and quiet.

Harry could feel his rapid breathing matching hers. Ginny's cheeks were pink, as she stared at the buttons on his shirt. "Yes, I know," Ginny replied, her voice quiet and breathy. The very sound of it causing the beast in his chest to roar and thunder, causing every muscle in his body to tense. Harry looked down into her brown eyes. An overwhelming desire to pull her closer, shooting electricity down to his fingertips. Surely she felt it too.

"You are all the closest thing I have to family. I'll always do whatever I can to protect you," Harry told her earnestly, and his eyes couldn't seem to tear themselves away from looking at her pink lips.

Harry could tell at once that he had said the wrong thing. For Ginny suddenly stiffened in his arms, and shook her head as if trying to clear something out of her mind. "Yes...of course," she started, the sound of new understanding in her tone. She pulled away, and stepped back a few feet back. Harry had no choice but to let her go. The beast in his chest roaring in disapproval.

Harry opened his mouth to retract whatever idiot thing he had just said, but was cut off by Ginny. "Yes, Harry," she began, a smile on her face, a forced cheeriness in her tone. "You are family to us. I hope you know we feel the same way. I never thought we had room for another brother...but I'm glad I was wrong," Ginny told him, with a sad sincerity.

"Ginny-" Harry started, taking a step towards her, wanting to clear up this glaring misunderstanding.

"I'm so sorry for this," she interrupted, holding up her hand in some sort of surrender. Harry stopped short at her obvious barrier she wanted to put between them. She laughed uncomfortably as she added, "I'm just tired. I'm sure I'll be back to normal after I get some sleep." All the time saying this, she had been backing her way to the girl's staircase.

Harry remained in place as he watched her retreat. Unsure what had just happened.

"Goodnight, Harry," she called over her shoulder as she sprinted up the stairs.

"Goodnight, Ginny," he replied quietly to the empty staircase, before grabbing a pillow of the overstuffed couch and chucking it across the room.

...

**Discussion:** I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to let Ginny and Harry have a chance to be alone. It occurred to me that Mrs. Weasley reminding them all of Harry saving Ginny, would have put Ginny to thinking. Harry was already in one of those surly pensive moods, and with both their temperaments a moment like this would not have been too far fetched.

The aftermath, and how it fits. So if you recall, Ginny and Dean have been on the rocks for weeks now. I think Ginny, (because we know she's not afraid to ditch boys) would have ended things around this point in the novels, but after Harry makes the comment of them being family, she takes it as he sees her as only a sister. So, in her effort to get over her feelings for Harry (which she's annoyed because she had already gotten over him once), she holds onto the relationship for a bit longer. (That's why she snaps at Dean for little things, like helping her through the portrait hole). And why she goes to see Harry while he's unconscious after the McClaggen knocks him out during the quidditch match. (She's obviously likes him, but doesn't want to make Harry uncomfortable). Harry fantasizes of Ginny weeping over his body, to prove that what had happened between the two, really meant something. Why she gets so riled up at Dean when he jokes about Harry being hurt.

So when she fixes him with a hard blazing look, and throws herself into his arms after the last Quidditch match, it's because she's ignoring what she's sure is Harry's way of "letting her down nicely."


End file.
